AK Party aims to win more provinces in local elections

Mehmet Özhaseki, the deputy chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), said on Sunday that the party is looking to take at least 20 more provinces in the upcoming March 2019 local elections.

Speaking to the Milliyet newspaper, Özhaseki said talks for a possible alliance with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) were being held "meticulously."

He said that the AK Party perceives the People's Alliance as an impetus in metropolitan areas in local elections against opposition candidates.

The deputy chairman added that rough bargains between the parties including sharing provinces with preliminary negotiations for local elections receive backlash by voters.

Previously, in the 2014 local elections, the AK Party managed to win the municipalities of 48 out of the 81 provinces.

The People's Alliance was formed by ruling the AK Party and MHP for the June 24 presidential and parliamentary elections. The alliance received a majority in Parliament by taking 52.6 percent of the votes. With the alliance's proven success, the parties are looking to carry the same momentum into the local elections.

Last month, MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli announced that his party would not nominate a candidate in the local elections for Istanbul metropolitan municipality. Reports suggested that both parties can support each other's candidates in certain provinces.

Özhaseki also touched upon the roadmap determined for the local elections and he highlighted that the AK Party completed a questionnaire study for the municipality and municipal services apart from the reports prepared by the deputies.

Highlighting that the applications will be evaluated in mid-October after the reports are reviewed by the committees, Özhaseki said that the names will begin to be clarified toward the end of October.